Pesticides lawsuit dismissed

Posted: 4/29/2013 |
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Ruling ends nearly two years of negotiation

A lawsuit that could have led to restrictions on hundreds of pesticides across the country has been dismissed by a California court, according to a ruling handed down this week on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's motion to dismiss the case.

In a 33-page ruling, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco dismissed the lawsuit with leave to amend, meaning the plaintiffs -- the Center for Biological Diversity and Pesticide Action Network North America -- have 30 days to file an amended lawsuit or 60 days to appeal to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

On Jan. 20, 2011, the groups filed suit, alleging EPA violated the Endangered Species Act by not consulting federal wildlife officials about the potential effects that pesticides and other ag chemicals would have on hundreds of species.